Thursday, February 4, 2010

Tommy James: Draggin' the Line

APPEARS ONTommy James (1970); Tommy James and the Shondells Anthology (1989); other anthologies

NOTE "Draggin' the Line" reached #4 on the Billboard pop charts in August 1971 and stayed in the Top 40 for eleven weeks.

"Draggin' the Line" appeared originally on Tommy James' eponymous album, his first release after leaving the Shondells. (allmusic.com says that "Draggin' the Line" first appeared on James' album Christian of the World, but all other sources, including James himself, say otherwise.) James was a hit machine in the late 60s, with fifteen Top 40 hits (including three #1's) from 1966-69. These featured classic pop arrangements with dabs of white soul faintly reminiscent of The Rascals. As the decade wore on, touches of psychedelia appeared here and there; one song, "Crystal Blue Persuasion," is a barely concealed account of drug use.

Musically, "Draggin' the Line" is pure psychedelia. Its dreamy tempo, loping bass, and echoing chorus create a stoned ambiance augmented by puncturing horns. The use of brass is unusual in psychedelic music, but James recorded with horns for most of his career and deploys them to good effect here.

Lyrically, the song is a paean to the simple joys of life and the way that they alleviate the struggle of "Makin' a living the old hard way." For James, the pleasures of living are found in "snow and rain and bright sunshine" and even -- believe it or not "huggin' a tree." This, he sings, leads to "peace of mind" in a way that "the old hard way" cannot.

What, then, to make of the cryptic title? What does "draggin' the line" mean? James has never explained it, and passed on the opportunity to do in the liner notes to Anthology. Speculation ranges from an allusion to cocaine ("the line") to "draggin'" a cross. I suspect that it refers back to the opening lyric, with James' ominous delivery juxtaposed against the upbeat chorus singing of "peace of mind." It's as if draggin' the line and peace of mind are in eternal opposition, with the individual forced to do what he must to survive, a striving made worthwhile by appreciation and enjoyment of the natural world.

(For information on the origin of the phrase "tree hugger," click here.)

LYRICSMakin' a living the old hard wayTakin' and giving day by dayI dig snow and rain and bright sunshineDraggin' the line (draggin' the line)

My dog Sam eats purple flowersWe ain't got much but what we got's oursWe dig snow and rain and bright sunshineDraggin' the line (draggin' the line)Draggin' the line (draggin' the line)

I feel fine, I'm talkin' about peace of mindI'm takin' my time, I'm gettin' the good signDraggin' the line (draggin' the line)Draggin' the line (draggin' the line)

Lovin' the free and feelin' spiritOf huggin' a tree when you get near itDiggin' the snow and rain and bright sunshineDraggin' the line (draggin' the line)

I feel fine, I'm talkin' about peace of mindI'm takin' my time, I'm gettin' the good signDraggin' the line (draggin' the line)Draggin' the line (draggin' the line)Draggin' the line (draggin' the line)

I heard it earlier this week on Men of a Certain Age, the soundtrack of which is treasure trove of forgotten 70s music. I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with the song, but I loved it. After looking up via Google, I found a cheap Tommy James anthology and have been listening to it all week.

Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James & The Shondells IS NOT about drug use and cherry wine IS NOT drinking. Crystal Blue Persuasion is about Jesus Christ and becoming a Christian and Cherry wine is about the blood of Christ.

Source/ Tommy James himself in the youtube video "Tommy James: Behind the Crystal Blue Persuasion (Extended Interview) " He talks all about how God came to came to him. And mentions both of these songs and their meanings.

I've always taken Tommy's phrase "draggin' the line" to mean living and working at a pace slow enough ("takin' my time") to properly enjoy the simple things in life ("snow and rain and bright sunshine"); i.e., at the end of the line being dragged is an anchor (or cross, if you prefer). However, like so many popular songwriters he was an expert at "keeping things vague", to quote Joan Baez, to gain the widest possible audience - including the drug-obsessed. :) No doubt this is why he's never explained the song's title.

[Btw, 'Citizen K.', I think your analysis (published on July 9, 2009) of "Substitute" by The Who is a brilliant piece of writing.]

About Just A Song

After a hiatus, I want to revive Just A Song. My move east has exposed me to all kinds of new (to me) talent who have inspired me to take pen in hand. As always, all entries will include the name of the artist and song, the albums it appears on, miscellaneous notes, the lyrics, and an audio and/or video of the song. Some entries will also feature annotations and/or a brief essay about the song. I'll also include links to official web sites and reviews.